8/25/2010 @ 10:00AM

Usain Bolt Seals Massive Deal With Puma

Puma
has renewed its sponsorship deal with Usain Bolt, the three-time Olympic gold medalist and world record holder for the 100 meter sprint, and set its own record in the process.

The German sportswear giant says Bolt will receive a sum that is by far the largest ever given to a track and field athlete, positioning him as “a top earner in the world of sport.”

Puma
would not disclose financial details but a number of press reports have said it is comparable to
Nike
‘s four-year $32 million deal with soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Puma’s contract with the Jamaican sprinter is now set to last until 2013, though Bolt has been with Puma since he was 16. “Puma’s been by my side since the beginning, before anyone knew what I was capable of achieving,” Bolt said in a press release.

Athletes like Bolt tend not to reach the stratospheric levels of multi-million dollar sponsorships deals that others sportsmen are able to clinch — heroes like David Beckham and Tiger Woods — because track and field does not have the same kind of mainstream appeal that soccer or golf does.

The deal is thus a testament to the way Bolt has increased the profile of athletics in the last few years. “Hes shined a global spotlight on the sport,” said Puma Chief Executive Jochen Zeitz. “His winning personality and phenomenal physical prowess are a unique combination.”

Bolt holds the world and Olympic records for the 100 meters, 200 meters and 4 x 100 meter relay . He ran the 100 meters in a world-record beating 9.58 seconds in 2009 in Berlin.

He is also known for striking his signature “To Di World” pose in which he points up to the sky. Puma has emblazoned that image on everything from jackets to footwear, similar to Nike’s successful use of Michael Jordan’s Air Jordan silhouette.

The Bolt Collection was launched in May, but a second wave of apparel, shoes and accessories with Bolt’s logo is due out in December.

Bolt is probably Puma’s most well known sponsorship figure. The company’s other big names include soccer stars Samuel Eto-o and Nicholas Enelka, but Puma would not say how Bolt’s deal compared with their contracts.